Packaging method

ABSTRACT

A method of making a package for displaying articles for sale. The method includes positioning a die over a porous or perforated backing card and a transparent plastic cover film over the die and card. A vacuum is then applied to the underside of the card so as to bond the film to the face of the card. The die is then removed to expose a pocket that receives the article or articles to be displayed. The portion of the film adjacent the open end of the pocket may be heat sealed to the card or alternatively bent around the card to retain the article or articles in place. In modification of the method, a transparent formed shield may be interposed between the transparent film and the backing card to provide for crushable or sharp-pointed articles. Also, a chemically protective shield may be interposed between the face of the backing card and the pocket.

United States Patent Brignall 51 Feb. 8, 1972 [54] PACKAGING METHOD Watts ..156/285 X Stratton.

Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee AttameyFu1wider, Patton, Rieber, Lee & Utecht [57] ABSTRACT A method of making a package for displaying articles for sale. The method includes positioning a die over a porous or perforated backing card and a transparent plastic cover film over the die and card. A vacuum is then applied to the underside of the card so as to bond the film to the face of the card. The die is then removed to expose a pocket that receives the article or articles to be displayed. The portion of the film adjacent the open end of the pocket may be heat sealed to the card or alternatively bent around the card to retain the article or articles in place. In modification of the method, a transparent formed shield may be interposed between the transparent film and the backing card to provide for crushable or sharp-pointed articles. Also, a chemically protective shield may be interposed between the face of the backing card and the pocket.

7 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures mtmsnrzu em: 3.640.047

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Arron/MKS PACKAGING METHOD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to the art of packaging articles and more particularly to the manufacture of a package in which one or more articles are encased within a transparent covering supported by a decorative backing card.

2. Description of the Prior Art Applicant is aware of US. Pat. No. 3,053,023 issued Sept. 11, 1962 and US. Pat. No. 3,217,462 issued Nov. 16, 1965 directed to this subject matter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In general, the packaging method of the present invention utilizes a perforated or a porous backing card which may be imprinted upon its face with decorative markings. The card is disposed upon a porous platen and a pocket-defining die is arranged upon the upper surface or face of the card. The die extends to or over one edge of the card. A transparent synthetic plastic cover film is next arranged over the card and the die. A vacuum is thereafter created on the underside of the card by means of the platen and the film is drawn downwardly against the face of the card to become bonded to the face of the card except in the area of the die. The die is then removed so as to expose an article-receiving pocket. The pocket may be sealed either by heat bonding the portion of the film adjacent the open end of the pocket to the card, or alternatively the film may extend over the edge of the card adjacent the open end of the pocket and bent over so as to seal the pocket. The completed package may then be shipped to the article manufacturer who inserts the article or articles to be displayed and seals the package.

In a modification of the method of the present invention a transparent formed shield is interposed between the die and the transparent film prior to the bonding of the film to the card. When the die is removed the shield remains in place so as to protect crushable articles or to prevent rupturing of the film by sharp-pointed articles. Also, a chemically protective shield may be disposed in the pocket to protect the card against chemically active articles.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first step in a preferred method embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second step in said method;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a third step in said method;

FIG. 4 is a central vertical sectional view showing the step of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are perspective views showing how articles may be loaded into a package formed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing how the article-receiving pocket may be sealed;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view in reduced scale showing a second form of display package which can be made by the method of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken in enlarged scale along line 10I0 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a vertically exploded perspective view showing a second method embodying the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a later step in the method of FIG. 11; and

FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view taken on line l3- 13 of FIG. 12 during a step in said second method embodying the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, a preferred method embodying the present invention utilizes a cardstock which is either formed with perforations or alternatively is sufficiently porous as to permit air to pass through the card when a vacuum is applied to the underside of such card. The card may be decoratively printed on one or both of its horizontal surfaces. The upper card surface is coated with an adhesive that will become bonded to a transparent synthetic plastic film 22 when such film is heated and drawn against the upper surface of the card 20 by a vacuum applied to the underside of the card 20 in a conventional manner.

In FIG, 2 the card 20 is shown disposed upon the upper surface of a porous platen 24. A conventional vacuum-creating means (not shown) is connected to the platen 24 so as to provide an air pressure differential between the film 22 and the platen. A generally rectangular die 26 is temporarily disposed upon the upper surface of the card 20. It will be noted that one end of this die 26 extends over the corresponding edge 28 of card 20.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 the transparent film 22 is shown bonded to the upper surface of the card 20 after a vacuum has been applied to the underside of such card. It will be noted that the film 22 is not bonded to the card 20 in the area of the die 26, but instead, the die 26 had formed an article-receiving pocket 30. After the film 22 has been bonded to the card 20, the die 26 will be removed horizontally from within the pocket 30 in a conventional manner and the package may be sent to a manufacturer of articles to be received by such package. Alternatively, of course, the articles may be inserted in the pocket 30 at the place of manufacture of the package.

Referring now to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, since the film 22 extends over the card edge 28, a flap 32 is defined by this portion of the film. As indicated in FIG. 5, this flap may be folded downwardly over the card edge 28. Referring now to FIG. 6, articles 34 may be inserted within the article-receiving pocket 30 either before the flap 32 is bent over the card edge 28 or after such flap binding has taken place. The completed package is shown in FIG. 7 with the articles 34 being retained within the article-receiving pocket 30 by the bent-over flap 32. With this arrangement, one or more articles may be readily removed from the pocket 30 by unfolding the flap 32. Thereafter, the flap 32 may be again folded over the card edge 28 so as to securely retain the remaining articles within the pocket 30. If desired, however, the flap may be heat sealed to the underside of the card 20.

Referring now to FIG. 8, it is also possible to heat seal the portion of the film 22 adjacent card edge 28 to the upper surface of the card 20 adjacent such card edge. This may be accomplished by means of a conventional heated bar 38 shown pressing the film 22 against the card 20 adjacent card edge 28 in this figure.

Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, it is not essential that the film 22 overlap the card edge 28 in the completed package made in accordance with the method of the present invention. Instead, the film 22 may be cut off the card 20 along the card edge 28. Thereafter, as indicated in FIG. 10, a heat conventional sealing bar (not shown) may be employed to press the portion of the film 22 adjacent card edge 28 against the upper surface of the card 20 so as to seal the film at this point. As is also indicated in FIGS. 9 and 10, the article-receiving pocket 30 need not be parallel with the edges of the card 20, but instead may be arranged diagonal with respect to such card.

Referring now to FIG. 11, there is shown another form of method embodying the present invention. In FIGS. ll, 12 and 13 parts generally corresponding to those of FIGS. 1-4 bear their primed reference numerals. Thus, there is shown a display card 20' over which is arranged a transparent synthetic plastic over film 22'. A generally rectangular die 26' is interposed between the upper surface of the card and the underside of the film 22' when a vacuum is applied to the underside of the card 20 through a porous platen 24'. In this modification of the invention, however, a formed shield 42 is interposed between the die 26 and the underside of the film 22' during the vacuum-applying step. This shield 42 is formed of a comparatively tough transparent synthetic plastic. The shield 42 includes a generally rectangular body 44 from the underside of which extends a flange 46. The end of the shield adjacent card edge 28 is open.

The method of FIGS. 1 l, 12 and 13 also provides for inserting a chemically resistant packing sheet'50 within the lower portion of article-receiving pocket 30'. Such a chemically resistant packing sheet 50 may be formed of a conventional foamed synthetic plastic. As indicated in FIG. 11, the display card 20' is disposed upon the upper surface of the porous platen 24'. The-die 26' is arranged over the sheet 50 and the shield 42 is positioned upon the die 26. Thereafter, a vacuum is created on the underside of platen 24' and hence the card 20' so as to draw the film 22 downwardly against the card 20' whereby such film is bonded to the card face. The die 26 is then withdrawn from over the card in a conventional manner so as to define an article-receiving pocket 30, as shown in FIG. 12. The bottom of such pocket 30' is protected by means of a chemically resistant sheet 50 and the upper portion of such pocket is defined by the interior of the shield 42.

With continued reference to FIG. 12, the portion of the film 22, overlying the right-hand edge of the card 20 defines a flap 32' similar to the flap 32 shown in FIGS. 17. Such flap 32' may be bent over as indicated in phantom outline in this figure to temporarily seal the article receiving pocket 30'. Altematively, the right-hand portion of the cover 22 may be heat sealed onto the card 25. It should be noted that the protective sheet 50 may be eliminated if so desired and the shield 42 utilized without such sheet.

Various other modifications and changes may be made with respect to the foregoing description without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

lclaim:

l. A process of making an open-ended article-displaying package, such process comprising:

providing a backing card formed of an air-passing material;

positioning a pocket-defining die upon the upper surface of said card, said die extending to or over an end of said card;

positioning a synthetic plastic cover film over said card and die;

positioning said card, die and film upon porous platen;

creating an air pressure differential between said film and said platen to bond said film to said card adhesively about three sides and one end of said film except in the area of said die; and

removing said die through the other end of saId film, said die removal exposing a scalable article-receiving pocket.

2. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cover film is transparent.

3. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cover film overlaps the end of said card over which said die is removed to define a flap, and said flap is folded over the back of said card after said die has been removed so as to seal said pocket.

4. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein a formed synthetic plastic shield is interposed between said cover and said die, with said shield being retained within said pocket when said die is removed.

5. A process as set forth in claim 4 wherein a chemically resistant backing sheet is positioned within the lower portion of said pocket.

6. A process as set forth in claim 5 wherein said cover and said shield are transparent.

7. A process of making an open-ended package to display article means such process comprising:

providing a backing card formed of an air-passing material;

positioning a pocket-defining die upon the upper surface of said card, said die extending to or over an end of said card; v

positioning a synthetic plastic cover film over said card and die;

positioning said card, die and film upon a porous platen;

creating an air pressure difi'erential between said film and said platen to bond said film to said card adhesively about three sides and one end of said film except in the area of said die;

removing said die through the other end of said film, said die removal exposing a scalable article-receiving pocket; inserting said article means in said pockets; and

then sealing said cover relative to said card to thereby retain said article means within said pocket. 

1. A process of making an open-ended article-displaying package, such process comprising: providing a backing card formed of an air-passing material; positioning a pocket-defining die upon the upper surface of said card, said die extending to or over an end of said card; positioning a synthetic plastic cover film over said card and die; positioning said card, die and film upon a porous platen; creating an air pressure differential between said film and said platen to bond said film to said card adhesively about three sides and one end of said film except in the area of said die; and removing said die through the other end of saId film, said die removal exposing a sealable article-receiving pocket.
 2. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cover film is transparent.
 3. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cover film overlaps the end of said card over which said die is removed to define a flap, and said flap is folded over the back of said card after said die has been removed so as to seal said pocket.
 4. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein a formed synthetic plastic shield is interposed between said cover and said die, with said shield being retained within said pocket when said die is removed.
 5. A process as set forth in claim 4 wherein a chemically resistant backing sheet is positioned within the lower portion of said pocket.
 6. A process as set forth in claim 5 wherein said cover and said shield are transparent.
 7. A process of making an open-ended package to display article means such process comprising: providing a backing card formed of an air-passing material; positioning a pocket-defining die upon the upper surface of said card, said die extending to or over an end of said card; positioning a synthetic plastic cover film over said card and die; positioning said card, die and film upon a porous platen; creating an air pressure differential between said film and said platen to bond said film to said card adhesively about three sides and one end of said film except in the area of said die; removing said die through the other end of said film, said die removal exposing a sealable article-receiving pocket: inserting said article means in said pockets; and then sealing said cover relative to said card to thereby retain said article means within said pocket. 